“(Soup dumpling) shops are popping up everywhere now,” says Hoang, the hospitality director of Fortune House. “We were offering something that wasn’t really available yet, but the hype really grew and created the demand that we are seeing.”
Fortune House started as a mom-and-pop style Chinese restaurant in Irving, and the current owners took over in 2014. In 2023, they brought the Shanghainese menu to Lowest Greenville. At the time, the street was missing a sit-down Chinese food option after the Asian fusion spot Gung Ho closed during the pandemic.
Hoang and his partners aimed to preserve the “nostalgic feel” epitomized by the Irving store at the Greenville Avenue location, whilst still creating an elevated experience that felt trendy and catered towards the area’s young audience. In the main dining room, neon red signage imitates the bustling urban streets in Asia known for street food; red lantern lighting and vibey ironwork decorate the space, which is split into several different dining areas.